Border crossing Diama - As of 03/12/2015 Mauritania -> Senegal.

To get to Diama drive into Rosso and after the second Total Service Station on the left (It only sells diesel) Take the first or second right. The roads to Diana is a bit rough and sandy in some places, but a normal car can do it. In rainy season it looks to be hard. It was allot of fun, 100km of dirt fun fun fun...

1) You may pay for the National Park Diawling on entry or exit. I paid with a receipt 2000UM to the police on exit. Take your time, there is a few good shots of wild pigs and birds. See attached photo of the receipt.

2) Once you get to the border, there is a police control. Give a "Fiche d’ Information” and move forward to the building on the left before the Barrier. This is Immigration. Get your passport stamped, he asked for “10€” I asked if the passport was finished and he said yes. He asked again and I ignored. I got up and left without paying.

You can change money here.

3) Next move up to the second barrier and park. This is customs in the left building. Here you can get your possessions and vehicle stamped out. Again he asked for “10€” for the paper and I didn't pay. You don’t have to pay! And you shouldn’t.

4) You will be asked to pay for a 500UM for commune Tax. I don’t know if this is real, but it has a stamp, and the receipt book looks legit… But you never know.
You are now out of Mauritania!

5) Move across the bridge. There is a guy asking for 4000 CFA for the toll bridge. He will give you a receipt. I don’t have it because he tried to screw me because I didn’t have any CFA, so bring CFA! He wanted about 12USD$ if I pay in UM, it's around 5USD$ if you pay in CFA. I paied 5USD$ with UM because I’m not getting dicked. I won.

6) After the bridge toll, park on the right side by the barrier. That little building is immigration. All good no problems with corruption, but I was acting in complete control and they said “I see you have done this many times before sir”. SHOW NO FEAR! They with leach you if you do, thats a general rule here in Africa or any border.

After you get your stamp, cross the road and get the vehicle imported. This is a good one, they won’t stamp your Carnet de passage here in Diama, It can be done I hear but he wouldn’t for me. I had to drive to Dakar within 48hr. Depending on the vehicle I think the regulations are different. If he doesn’t give a time limit on the “Passavant” I’m not sure if it’s better not to tell him you have a Carnet.

7) Anyway, get your Passavant de Circuslation pour Véhicule. I have attached a photo of mine. See the comments for the image. And pay 2500CFA, that's about 5USD$ I didn’t pay because I didn’t have money! But it’s a real receipt, so pay.
The Fixers (People that help you on the border) are in with the cops, but just hold onto your documents and go with the flow. They are your friend until you pay and then you are just another dumb ass, respect is totally lost once paid. In other words, be the boss, so far I haven’t needed one.

You are now in Senegal!

8) Next, you need insurance. I got mine at the pharmacy in the next little village. Maybe I got ripped off because I didn’t do my research, but I paid 55€ for 2 months for the “Carte Brunei". Building: https://www.google.com/maps?q=16.221...hl=en-CH&gl=ch

Rally Diama -> Dakar
You need to get your Carnet stamped in Dakar. Go to this Building:https://www.google.com/maps?q=14.672...hl=en-CH&gl=ch

This is a bit complicated, I didn’t pay. Again the fixers work with the customs here. They are so well integrated with customs you think they are working there. Maybe they are but they will ask for money. One asked for 20000 CFA lol!
Ok, you need your passport, Canet, vehicle registration, photocopy of your passport and vehicle registration (There is a copy place across the road) drivers license, and Passavant de circulation pour Véhicule.
It's hard to describe the offices you need to go into but people are helpful and the fixers more so. You could just get a fixer for a few € and your good. But first go to the second floor, then to the ground floor to two different offices…. Say you need the carnet stamped for the maximum time possible of your visa length.
I was not asked for bribes.

Have fun in Senegal!

For images of the papers checkout the post: https://www.facebook.com/wheelieadve...06211732941890 (I can't upload images here)

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Well done for not paying anyone ... so many people do & it makes it so much harder for those following!

Great crossing it seems!!

You do not have to drive all the way to Rosso to get to Diama:

drive through Keur Macene / Keur Macane, and it will save you about 50 km of road and 60km of piste.

Coming from Nouakchott, at this point

https://www.google.de/maps/place/16%...s0x0:0x0?hl=de

follow the road to the right, it is really good and nice to drive, compared to the road to Rosso, which in December 2015 was under construction.

Note that there are two checkpoints on the way to the road on the dam, they will want to see the vehicle insurance for Senegal. You need insurance for Senegal, and it will be checked in Senegal, but you can buy it at the border in Rosso and Diama or cheaper in Nouakchott at NASR:

https://www.google.de/maps/search/18...!1e3!4b1?hl=de

The only reason they ask for Senegal insurance while you are still in Mauretania is that they want to sell you the insurance for an inflated price (200 EUR compared to 20 EUR).

The road on the dam to Diana looks like this ...

https://youtu.be/rL7Bz_S3HZ8

Hey guys,

Thanks for your uptodate information about the border crossing.
I am planning to leave the NL the 9th of februari with a nissan patrol, 1996.
I am planning to drive through marocco, mauretania, senegal, guinee and sierra leone.
I don't have a carnet, and understood, it is not necessary, except for Senegal.
But still I hear quite some stories that people make it without.

What would you guys advice?
Another option is to cross Mali (but I prefer Senegal). In 2009 I travelled with a car for nl to mali without any problem.
Will they issue me a passavant for a car more than 8 years? I only need about 72 hours to get to guinea (but I prefer a bit longer).

Cheers!

Just crossed at Diama, and thanks to the details here had the confidence to seriously refuse to pay the 2x10Euro 'extras'.

The first building is in fact the customs, and they asked for 10Euro or 4000Oug, and even went as far as producing a (somewhat ancient looking) receipts book when I refused. I pointed out that the last entry in the receipts book was a month old, so it obviously wasn't a routine charge and walked out. They refused to open the barrier and a bit of a standoff ensued...the receipt was for 'additional customs work' (rough translation). The guy then said it was because it was lunchtime and if we waited til 3 or 4pm (It was around noon) we could go without charge. I got the kettle out to brew some coffee and said we'd wait...this rather upset the chap. I had an Italian hitcher with me so he went to chat to the guy...who was apparently angry at me...so I went and explained to him that at every border there was someone who wanted more...being a bit more conciliatory in tone, but he then allowed us to pass the first barrier.

Paid the 500Oug to the guy for commune tax with a proper looking reciept book!

Take 2, the police...details entered, 1 passport stamped and he asked for 10Euro/4000Oug. He refused to stamp the other passport...but a little argument on the basis that the visa was already too expensive, and I wasn't made of money, and his colleague stamped the passport and off we went...

All good, except I'm afraid we failed on the approach to demand a receipt for the National Park fee, and paid 2000 per person and 1000 for the car...suspect the 1000 was an extra, and the lack of receipt who knows where the money went...one day I'll do a clean crossing!

So ask for receipts, and make sure they are legit!

Thanks for the info!

Also, no problem with repeated Senegal insurance touts (including at the first police checkpoint after taking the Diama turnoff where the guy tried to convince us that we need 2 separate insurances for Senegal and we should go to his office and pay 50euros for 10 days or we'd have to go back to Rosso...I've heard the 2xinsurance story before but found no reason to believe it yet...) since had bought Insurance in Nouakchott at location identified by ALu above, covering CIMA countries - Benin, Burkina, Cameroon, CAF, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Niger, Chad, Togo - 2 months for a Landcruiser for 11000Oug. That location is the head office btw, and the guy there was really nice and enjoyed the opportunity to use his excellent English. The insurance agencies, even of same company, can't/won't do insurance for Senegal.

I crossed in Diama two days ago. I can confirm the above quote by ALu with the alternative route, I punched in his co-ordinates and they put me within eyesight of the shortcut (which actually happens to be a much better road than the National Highway until you reach Keur Macene).

From Keur Macene, you'd be on the piste from Rosso anyway if you were going to Diama. I was really nervous about it being deep sand like what was next to the highway most of the way down from Nouakchott but it was just a dirt road (in May). I took the road at 120kmp/h on the bike and had no problems with corrugations, but had a couple of close shaves with warthogs running out of the bushes. All good fun though.

A uniformed guy wanted 4000Oug for the national park fee. 2000 for me, and 2000 for the bike. I told him no, 2000oug or nothing. He took it and tried to make out we were friends.

At the Mauritanian border I was asked for 10 euro for the TIP exit stamp, which I refused. He fabricated some story that it said in my passport I hadn't paid the 10 Euro when entering Mauritania. I told him I did, and I wasn't going to pay again. After some time he realised he was caught out and to cover his tracks made some bogus phone call as if he was talking the case over with the border at Western Sahara. He then said okay and stamped it out.

Before going through the barricade to get my passport stamped, a guy asked for 500oug, I have no idea what this was for. I couldn't speak French, but he had a book of receipts with 500oug printed on it, so I paid and he opened the barricade.

I was then asked for 10 euro for the passport exit stamp from Mauritania, I refused and told him to stamp my passport. He huffed and puffed and make a big deal, shuffling around my papers, calling in another officer and repeating "He will not pay" to his co-worker. After a couple of minutes he stamped the passport and begrudgingly handed my passport back to me.

A kid unlocked and opened the second barricade to the bridge for me, and at the opposite end the guy wanted 4000oug. He offered me a receipt with the price hand written in, and then a 30 minute standoff occured, he was smiling and calling me "complicated". I realised during the stand off that 4000CFA was actually 2000oug and he was trying to dupe me. I gave him 2000oug and eventually he opened the bridge barricade.

I got stamped into Senegal without being asked for anything

A guy then offered to help get me my TIP (he had witnessed the bridge standoff and I think was embarrassed for his friend). He sorted the TIP for my bike, 2 days for 2500CFA which could be extended at a Douane in Senegal.

I still needed insurance, so we went behind the TIP office to some little shacks, there was a nice old man in there who showed me all the durations and prices listed on some paper. It didn't seem to be rip off prices, but at this stage I only had 20,000CFA (maybe 30 euro) in my wallet, this bought me two months insurance which was listed on the paper for about 24,500CFA.

I heard the insurance is cheaper in Nouakchott, but when I got to that city I wanted to leave immediately so didn't stick around to find out.

Staying in St.Louis, I took the 2nd day of the TIP to ride to Dakar to the Douane head office, 4th floor of "Senegal Tours" building N14'40.128 W017'25.894. Some young guy behind a desk in "nice" clothes looked over my documents and gave me 15 days at no cost.

Thanks for the original post, it really is great to have an idea of what to expect at a crossing before arriving!

Hi All - just thought I would update this thread as just passed today. Travelling solo, so did not want to go near Rosso....and very happy I did not have to.
ALu is spot on above....(thank you!!!!) - insurance in NKC as per the co-ords....turn off to Keur Machene was actually a far better road than the N2! And a lot more beautiful....finally a vista without litter!
Road from Keur Machene was a blast! It has not rained heavily for a few days, and I was really chancing it on combo tyres, but managed just fine with no drops or issues (Assuming you have basic off road experience - was standing a lot). Saw 4 of the famous wart hogs and lots of other cool stuff. With knobbly tyres even in a little rain this is passable....if it's been raining for weeks just avoid unless you want to work hard.
As for the border - yep, it's corrupt as hell. If you have time, fight them and they will get bored...if not, just pay and fly through.......purists may hate that, but it works and is part of things here. There was one very aggressive fixer....but that's nothing compared to Rosso....and I had no problem paying the park fee - was the best bit of riding since I left the UK! I'd say chance it! Now enjoying my first since Spain! Cheers, and thanks again ALu!!!

+1 to what the origianl poster and wanted said. You can take the shortcut, wanted has posted this on turning on iOverlander.

The road is fine, you have to pay 2000 um for national park fee, then 500 um for the community tax (they tried to charge 2euros, but the ticket said 500um so he got that).

The border was fine, corrupt but fine. i had latched on to some 4x4 guys for a few days, they had a fixer so i kicked in 30 euros as they all had. i agree with other posters, you shouldnt pay it. but i sat in the shade, made coffee and ate melon with the guys in teh 4x4. after a long ride on not much sleep, that suited me!

additionally, if you were interested, the shortcut that is new tarmac. a few KM down the road you can go off piste if you like that. These were former tracks for the Paris Dakar rally.

Also, the national park is quite good, worth taking some time to get through. Saw crocodiles, warthogs (watch for these running out), flamingoes, big lizards and all kinds of birds.

Yesterday I passed the border between Mauretania and Senegal via Diama by motorcycle. Easy!. The right turn to Diama is very easy to find. The road to Diama has been asphalted for about half the ditance. For 50 km it is a very good piste. No worries at all in dry season also good for 4x4. The speed is about 60 km . We saw a lot of wild animals!
Somewhere you pay 3000 oug for the park.
Probably the piste has other circomstances in rainseason.
Also good for big bikes. i ride GSA in off-road mode, great fun.
I took a fixer for 5€ , waited 1.5 ours and everything was arranged smoothely, any problems at all.
By the way: we had lunch in keur macene wich is a mass and very dirty. But the lunch with fish and rice was exellent. Their is no visible restaurant, you ask for it, it is hidden and you sit on the ground. We payd only 1 € !!!

Have a nice trip!

Edwin


Have a nice ride.

By the way I forgot to mention that we got a pasavant for 5 days, your fixer has to ask for it.

Edwin

I just crossed via Diama on March 3, 2017 on a bicycle. Easiest border crossing in Africa so far with an American passport. Stamped out of Mauritania in 5 minutes and stamped into Senegal in 5 minutes. $0 dollar paid for anything. Nice road all the way to Saint Louis to enjoy my first since Morocco!

2,000 MRO for National Park fee with receipt. I made a case that I'm only in transit and not visiting the park and the guy said that I need to pay for using this road and I told him that this road was built by the Chinese and an NGO and that I don't have to pay. The guy almost bought it but I ended up paying. I also camped at the birdwatching tower which was amazing. There were thousands of birds flocking and warthogs grazing as I enjoy my coffee.

This thread was helpful - most HUD threads are old and are not helpful.

I am on 108,000km of an RTW. Met two Russians in Morocco who hated Rosso. Some Mauritians said take Rosso some said Diama. I took Diama and will never experience Rosso as I am headed to Cape Town. Diama was just fine.

This thread is generally correct for Diama. I travelled today July 8 in the wet season and it was not wet. Lots of Warthogs including one fresh road kill.

NEW NEWS FOR THIS THREAD - December 2017, Mauritania changed its currency. What used to cost 1,000 now costs 100. So take the last zero off all the numbers in this aggregate post.

The park wanted 500, but I told them 200 (based on this post) and gave them 200 and they shut up immediately.

The land is flat and the dam is there before you know it. I was conned into paying customs as they now ask for 400 local currency instead of 10 Euro. I thought I was paying for the bridge. Customs had their receipt book open and the guy was a smooth talker.

I paid 400 for crossing the dam and got a receipt. I have a Carnet and they charged me 5,000 XOF francs for a five-day paper to get me to Dakar to have the Carnet properly signed.

I could not get insurance in Nouakchott as it was a Saturday and I was not waiting till Monday. I bought two months CIMA insurance at the dam for 40 Euro, probably 50% too much, but since I am heading to Cape Town and the insurance covers most countries in between, I thought 40 Euro was OK.

These people are poor and it is tough for me to reconcile being ripped off to giving these guys some money to get ahead in life? I did not mind getting ripped off a little bit.

Insurance - Carte Brun

I often get it in Kayes, since I try to avoid Senegal going down for the obvious reason.

A vendor in Kayes would even give the local rate, around 5000 CFA for a month.
Last time he wasn't there - I asked around and he was in jail for selling fake insurance
So I paid the regular fee which was 32000 IIRC. Assurances Bleues.